Category: Film Clips

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Anna Smyrk and the Appetites Anticipate the Apocalypse

Can you believe it’s one week until Christmas? I hope most of you aren’t working as hard as I am. It’s a time of year when we should all be winding down, yet it seems so many people I know are operating on hyper speed.

If you’re feeling a bit ragged, give yourself just a few minutes to listen to “Apocalypse,” the sublime debut single from Melbourne’s Anna Smyrk and the Appetites. She’s got the voice of an angel and it works so beautifully in this moving song. And isn’t it wonderful to hear a modern song with a saxophone in a starring role?

Anna will launch the single with a string of intimate shows dubbed The Garden Party at the End of the World. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, but at least there’ll be good music at the end, right?

22 December 2013 – Open Sesame Festival @ Bar Open, Melbourne (4 pm til midnight)
3 January 2014 – Treehouse, Byron Bar (FREE @ 7:30 pm)
4 January 2014 – Sol Bar, Maroochydore (FREE @ 6 pm)
5 January 2014 – Queen Street Mall (FREE @ noon)
6 January 2014 – The Cave, Gold Coast (8 pm)

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Midnight Juggernauts Release Catty Clip

I can’t say I’ve ever really gotten Midnight Juggernauts. Maybe I never will. But I’ve come close watching the video for their new single “Systematic.” I actually don’t mind the song, and the clip is a stroke of genius. It really does prove that everything online is better with cats!

“They had an idea to throw dozens of cats around and we were curious to see how they could do that without offending animal cruelty groups,” explained Vincent Vendetta. “My initial reaction to the video was to laugh throughout—and obviously no animals were harmed.”

“Systematic” comes from the EP of the same name, which is in stores now. Midnight Juggernauts will promote it as the headliners at Siberia Presents: A New Year’s Eve Party at Melbourne’s Prince of Wales on December 31.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Meet The Night

In the tradition of hot indie acts like Arcade Fire and Bright Eyes comes The Night, a Sydney band that makes music that’s epic and really interesting.

The act began as one songwriter’s attempt to pen tunes that “would bridge the gap between good music and good storytelling, by allowing one to complement the other.” The band formed in mid-2011, and they’ve been working slowly and steadily on music that’s worth hearing. “Like This” is out first taste of The Night’s EP I Am and Say, which is scheduled for a December 23 release.

This soaring single proves The Night are a band with a lot of potential.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Thom Lion Impresses with “Folk Divorce”

I was a bit slow to get around to checking out the video for Thom Lion’s new song “Folk Divorce”, but I figure sometimes it’s a case of better late than never. Happily this is one of those times.

This ticks all the boxes for me. The music is stellar. I find Thom’s voice so compelling, a little rough around the edges and oozing honest emotion. The music’s organic and perfect in its simplicity. And then we’ve got this clip which is colourful, quirky, and so much fun.

Adelaide’s Thom Lion’s definitely one to watch.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Thyrsday Peels Back the Layers with “Skin”

Thyrsday don’t officially release their debut single “Skin” until Monday, but since their band name is so similar to today’s, and since it’s just so good, I couldn’t resist getting in early.

This is beautiful stuff, with standout vocals and hard-hitting, honest lyrics. I wasn’t surprised to hear the song was written in just minutes after an emotional confrontation. It feels like a real outpouring, although it’s a lot more poetic than most of us could muster under the circumstances!

“In many ways, writing Skin was a breakthrough for me,” explained the songwriter and Thyrsday’s lead vocalist Nikki Malvar. “It was a cathartic experience and it just wrote itself. I think there’s beauty in remaining cryptic about the actual story behind it, but I’ll say as much that I think the sentiment of disappointment and redemption is relatable to a lot of people.”

I certainly connected. How about you?

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

The Sinking Teeth Rock Out with “Temporary Living”

Sometimes you fall for a song despite all logic. I know the vocals of “Temporary Living” are a bit rough to say the least, but there’s something about this track by The Sinking Teeth that makes me smile.

It’s got a great energy about it. It’s incredibly catchy. There’s something perfect about its imperfections. It comes from the Victorian band’s debut EP White Water, which they’ll launch on December 6 at Ding Dong Lounge.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

X Factor’s Dami Im Tops ARIA Singles Charts

When I watched Katy Perry perform her smash hit single “Roar” on the X Factor finale, I remember thinking that Dami Im sang the song better a couple of weeks prior. So perhaps it’s fitting that Dami’s roared louder on the ARIA Charts this week and beaten Miss Perry to the top spot. The reigning X Factor queen has scored her first Australian number one with “Alive.”

Guy Sebastian’s appearance on the finale appears to have done him some good too. His latest single “Like a Drum,” the first to come from his forthcoming seventh album, is sitting at number four on debut. The song is Guy’s 12th top ten single.

Last year’s X Factor contestant Nathaniel continues to do great business with “You.” It only slipped slightly this week to claim the seventh spot on the charts. It pipped Justice Crew’s newie “Everybody,” which jumped ten spots to sit at number eight.

Last week’s number one album, Triple J’s Like a Version Volume 9, has fallen to number four this week. It beat out Kerser’s S.C.O.T. and Tina Arena’s Reset, which sit at number five and six respectively.

Click below for a closer look at this week’s top tens.

Continue reading “X Factor’s Dami Im Tops ARIA Singles Charts” →

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Sweet Jean Release “Annabelle”

Sime Nugent and Alive Keath, better known as Sweet Jean, are back with their exquisite new single “Annabelle.”

The single’s film clip sees Sweet Jean collaborating with Australian cinematographer on the rise, Alex Cardy. Alex has previously worked on clips for The Midnight Juggernauts and Oscar Key Sung, and she also played a part in the recent big screen adaptation of The Great Gatsby. That makes her the perfect person to bring to life Sweet Jean’s literary-influenced track, which drew inspiration from the likes of Vladimir Nabokov, Edgar Allan Poe, and William Blake.

Sweet Jean will launch the lovely “Annabelle” with a show alongside The Orbweavers at The Toff in Town on November 14.

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Battleships Take Aim with “Take Your Rest”

Sydney four-piece Battleships might be currently supporting Boy & Bear, but if the strength of their new single “Take Your Rest” is any indication they won’t be in the shadows for too long.

This track, which gets an official release today, is absolutely epic, with haunting vocals and stirring, sweeping instrumentation. The grand treatment is perfect for the lyrics which speak so poignantly of longing and sacrifice.

What do you think?

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Teeth & Tongue Wow Me with “Good Man”

New Zealand born, Melbourne-based muso Teeth & Tongue, or Jess Cornelius as she’s known to her mum, has turned my head with her impressive new single “Good Man.” It reminds me a bit of something a younger Tori Amos might have created with its lush sonic layers, ethereal yet gutsy vocals, and dangerous edges.

“I started humming the tune in my head while lurking around Northcote train station last year,” Jess explained. “At the time I was working on a solo show for the US, using only a drum machine and a synth, so I went home and tried to make it into a song that would stand alone without any other instruments. I ended up sampling layers of my voice for the rhythmic part, and then triggering the vocals using a foot switch while playing it live.
This set-up kind of became a prototype for a lot of the songs I have written recently.”

“Good Man” comes from Teeth & Tongue’s forthcoming album, which is slated for an early 2014 release. Luckily we don’t have to wait that long to hear more from this talent, as Teeth & Tongue will play a couple of shows next month. Tasmanians can catch her at the Hobart + Music = Yeah Festival on November 2, before she officially launches the single at Boney in Melbourne on November 23.